Grace and Truth: W.W.J.D.?

[The Midweek Encounter is a ministry of Encounter Church in Kentwood, MI. These posts are reflections on Sunday's message, which can be heard here each week: http://myencounterchurch.org/#/messages-media]



Photo Credit: Flickr Creative Commons, user dylanh777

As a 90’s kid, I grew up sporting the very popular W.W.J.D. bracelets throughout my childhood, often wearing mismatching colors at the same time. Because I attended a Christian school during the week and church on Sundays, it really was the “cool” thing to do. However, I don’t think I ever spent much time contemplating what those four letters actually meant: what would Jesus do? When another student was left out at recess, what would Jesus do? When someone else didn’t understand the math lesson and it made perfect sense to me, what would Jesus do?

 

Now as an adult, I reflect on those words and still wonder if I know what they mean in our world today. How do I act like Jesus amidst severe disagreement between political parties? What would Jesus do in the aftermath of the horrible violence in Orlando? How can I reflect Jesus’s love to those living in extreme poverty, experiencing physical or emotional abuse, or suffering from mental illness or addiction?

In response to these questions, we can find comfort, hope, and guidance in the passage we read from Revelation this week. Jesus shares these words with John to give to the church in Ephesus:

I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked people, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false. You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary. Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first. Consider how far you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. (Revelation 2:2-5)

Can we imagine that Jesus might share some of the same thoughts with us today—as a global church, as Encounter Church, or as individuals? The Christian church has endured persecution in the past and continues to in the present, even if it manifests itself differently in this age of technology—and we continue to endure by the power of the Holy Spirit. However, as Jesus shared with the church in Ephesus, we often forget about the love that brought us to Christ in the first place.

It’s easy to get caught up in the legality of current hot topics such as immigration, refugees, homosexuality, pornography, wealth distribution… and the list could go on and on. Christ recognizes that there is importance to seek truth in all of these issues, but He also encourages us to live a life of love. It often seems that there is disconnect between these two ideas—Biblical truth and the love of Christ—but as Christians, just like the Ephesians, we should seek to harmonize these two concepts.

I think the best example of Jesus showing 100% truth and 100% love can be found in John 8:3-11 (my shortened version):

 

The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery, and placing her in the midst they said to him, “Teacher, this woman has been caught in the act of adultery. Now in the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say?” …And as they continued to ask him, he stood up and said to them, “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.” …Jesus stood up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more.”

The truth was that this woman was an adulteress and deserved to face the consequences of her sin. However, the truth also shows that not one of those accusing her was without sin, and this is where grace and love appear. Jesus shows great love and grace by saving this woman from the consequences of her sin and by inviting her to go and sin no more, to follow Him.

I hope that we can reflect Jesus’s amazing ability to speak 100% truth into the lives of those he met with a heart that is full of 100% love and grace. Now when we think about those four letters, W.W.J.D, it is my prayer that we can rely on the power of the Holy Spirit to guide us in showing Jesus’s grace and truth in all that we say and do.

In closing, I want to share these words from John 1:14, 16-17:

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth… For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

 

[Megan Stephenson is a recent graduate of Grand Valley State University and works for a private education group in Grand Rapids as an Assistant Registrar. She loves spending time with her husband, Ben, trying out new breweries, restaurants, and local attractions. She also self-identifies as a crazy cat lady, despite owning no cats of her own, thanks to her loving and allergic husband.]